Panasonic Acquires HIVE & Strengthens Solutions for Immersive Environments

(eap) Panasonic Projector & Display Corporation (Panasonic) has announced that it has acquired 100 percent of the shares in UK-based media technology company HIVE Media Control Ltd. (HIVE). The move is said to strengthen the Japanese global corporation’s capabilities in media playback and control for immersive and fixed-installation environments.

The acquisition marks a further step in Panasonic’s development, with the company aiming to evolve beyond hardware and become a broader provider of visual solutions and integrated technological ecosystems. At the same time, Panasonic is expanding its portfolio around high-end projectors and displays to include software, workflows and media-delivery solutions.

HIVE is to continue operating as a standalone business with a vendor-neutral market approach. Panasonic will support HIVE’s continued growth while preserving the provider’s independence, agility and openness that have shaped the company’s position in the market. This strategy is intended to ensure continuity for HIVE’s existing customers and partners, including those using HIVE solutions in combination with projector and LED display brands from other providers.

“This is a strategically important step for Panasonic as we continue to evolve our business beyond a hardware-oriented model toward broader visual solutions and workflow value,” said Panasonic CEO Yousuke Adachi. “Under MEVIX, our visual solutions brand, we have been clearly articulating our commitment to contribute to customers across the total workflow, not just at the hardware endpoint. This acquisition is a major step in that direction and an important step forward in growth guided by the spirit of the MEVIX brand. HIVE brings proven expertise in media playback and control, and when combined with our projector and display portfolio, we believe it can create meaningful customer value through simpler deployment, greater flexibility and a better end-user experience. […]”

Mark Calvert, Co-Founder and CEO of HIVE, added, “We are inspired and honoured by the opportunity to work with Panasonic, while continuing to grow HIVE as an open and independent ecosystem. In nature, the most powerful systems are interconnected, adaptive and free to evolve – a philosophy that sits at the heart of HIVE. This partnership gives us the scale to accelerate our vision while preserving the openness and platform-agnostic approach our customers rely on. […]”

Panasonic sees the media server market as a clear growth area, supported by increasing demand for immersive attractions, experiences, themed environments and other permanent visual installations. HIVE’s media servers have already been selected for numerous major projects worldwide, including the “BBC Earth Experience”, the National Museum of Qatar and the “Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel” exhibition. ■